GEORGIAN EXPERT: NEW GEORGIAN PRESIDENT WILL CONTINUE INTEGRATING WITH THE EU AND NATO AND AT THE SAME TIME IMPROVING RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA
by David Stepanyan
ARMINFO
Friday, October 25, 17:42
I don't expert any drastic changes. The country will continue to
integrate with the European Union and NATO and at the same time to
improve its relations with Russia, Director of the Caucasus Research
Resource Centers-Georgia Office Koba Turmanidze said in an interview
to ArmInfo, when asked what changes he expects in Georgia's foreign
policy as soon as a new president comes into power.
"We should wait and see if we can combine these two policies. It
is good but not always possible to have friendly relations with
neighbors. The unfriendly relations with Russia are not Georgia's
choice. They came from the threat to our sovereignty, the support
of separatists in our territory and the ban on our goods in Russia,"
Turmanidze said.
He said that Turkey is Georgia's key trade partner and a supporter of
its territorial integrity. Turmanidze does not agree with the opinion
that close ties with Turkey may cause demographic problems in Georgia.
"For obvious reasons, Georgia is the only way for both Azerbaijan and
Armenia to Turkey and I don't see why it should not make best of it,"
the Georgian expert said.
Joint online press conference of experts from various countries for
Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian mass media on the relevant problems
are organized within the project "Expansion of knowledge of Armenians
and Azerbaijanis about each other and confidence building through
first-hand information". The project of the "Region" Research Center
(Armenia) and Peace and Democracy Institute (Azerbaijan) is supported
by the British Embassies in Armenia and Azerbaijan.
by David Stepanyan
ARMINFO
Friday, October 25, 17:42
I don't expert any drastic changes. The country will continue to
integrate with the European Union and NATO and at the same time to
improve its relations with Russia, Director of the Caucasus Research
Resource Centers-Georgia Office Koba Turmanidze said in an interview
to ArmInfo, when asked what changes he expects in Georgia's foreign
policy as soon as a new president comes into power.
"We should wait and see if we can combine these two policies. It
is good but not always possible to have friendly relations with
neighbors. The unfriendly relations with Russia are not Georgia's
choice. They came from the threat to our sovereignty, the support
of separatists in our territory and the ban on our goods in Russia,"
Turmanidze said.
He said that Turkey is Georgia's key trade partner and a supporter of
its territorial integrity. Turmanidze does not agree with the opinion
that close ties with Turkey may cause demographic problems in Georgia.
"For obvious reasons, Georgia is the only way for both Azerbaijan and
Armenia to Turkey and I don't see why it should not make best of it,"
the Georgian expert said.
Joint online press conference of experts from various countries for
Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian mass media on the relevant problems
are organized within the project "Expansion of knowledge of Armenians
and Azerbaijanis about each other and confidence building through
first-hand information". The project of the "Region" Research Center
(Armenia) and Peace and Democracy Institute (Azerbaijan) is supported
by the British Embassies in Armenia and Azerbaijan.